I'm Afraid I Won't Be Able to Leave

Chapter 124: Chapter 124: I Think She and Shawn Would Be a Good Match Too

Asher Keating had already thought of it, and clearly, Morgan Sterling had too. Southwood was just beginning its complete redevelopment. If the Grant Family wanted to re-establish a foothold in Riverfall, Southwood was indeed the most suitable place.

”The New Year isn’t over yet. A red envelope for each of you. Take them.”

Nash Grant took a stack of red envelopes from her bag and handed them out one by one. Morgan Sterling said he was the same age as Nash and didn’t need one, earning a roll of her eyes. ”I’m older than you by three days. That makes me your big sister, too.”

Finally, she got to Leah Sinclair. Leah accepted it, somewhat overwhelmed by the favor, and thanked her. Nash glanced at her. ”Third Master Keating, your little girlfriend isn’t bad. Treat her well. And if you two ever break up, let me know. I think she and Shawn would be a good match.”

Asher Keating looked at her, exasperated. ”...Nash.”

”Haha, alright, I’m off.” Nash got into the car after she spoke. The group said their goodbyes to Shawn, and the driver drove away.

Asher Keating took Leah Sinclair’s hand and said to the others, ”We’re going to head back now, too.”

Leah Sinclair was a little taken aback by what Nash had said. ”Third Master, what did Nash mean by that?”

”It’s nothing. She likes to joke around.”

Asher Keating’s lips curved into a slight smile. ’I should go back to the old residence tomorrow and tell the old Mr. Keating about this,’ he thought, mulling over Nash’s words. Leah Sinclair knew he had things on his mind, so she didn’t bother him further and took out her phone to call for a designated driver.

It wasn’t just the Keating Family; after Nash and Shawn Grant’s appearance today, Morgan Sterling was also in a hurry to get back and tell Thomas Sterling about it.

The Grant Family’s return to Riverfall was no small matter. Although Nash had spoken of it casually, the two of them weren’t naive enough to believe the Grant Family was just sending their three ”kids” to Riverfall to gain some experience.

Asher Keating didn’t say a word the entire way home. He sat on the sofa with a slight frown, contemplating the Grant Family’s intentions. Leah Sinclair went to take a shower first. The sound of her blow-drying her hair pulled Asher back to the present. He still couldn’t quite figure out the Grant Family’s plans and motives.

Over the years, although their families still had some contact with the Grant Family, the Grants had never taken the initiative to reach out, let alone shown any intention of returning to Riverfall.

He took off his glasses and pinched the bridge of his nose. ’Forget it. If I can’t figure it out, I’ll stop thinking about it for now. Since they’re coming back, some of my own plans might have to change slightly. The Grant Family’s return might bring about some unexpected chemical reactions. I’ll just have to wait and see.’

The moment Leah Sinclair put down the hair dryer, Asher Keating pulled her into his arms, his lips capturing hers. According to the customs of Stonecreek, after the death of an elder in the family, the mourning period was thirty-five days. During these thirty-five days, one could not drink alcohol, attend parties, or engage in sexual intercourse.

Asher Keating had forced himself to endure thirty-five days without touching Leah Sinclair. Now that her mourning period was finally over, he was determined to make up for lost time tonight.

”Third Master...” Leah’s legs went weak from his kiss.

Asher Keating lifted her onto the bathroom counter, his large hand slowly slipping inside her pajamas as he kissed her collarbone. ”Miss me?”

”Mmm... I did.”

Leah Sinclair tilted her neck back, a sense of longing washing over her. ’How could I not miss him?’ For half a month in the Westerlands, everywhere she went, she would think how wonderful it would be if Asher Keating were by her side, sharing the scenery with her.

Asher Keating chuckled and nipped her gently. ”Where did you miss me?”

Leah Sinclair’s face flushed. She whispered, ”Everywhere... but here most of all.”

She took one of Asher Keating’s hands and placed it over her heart, right where it was pounding, then initiated a kiss of her own, refusing to let go.

Asher Keating chuckled and kissed her back, slowly pulling her clothes away. Just as she felt a chill, he pulled her tightly into his embrace again, launching his own domineering assault.

The dim, yellow light of the bathroom cast an intimate glow. Leah Sinclair saw her reflection in the mirror, along with Asher Keating behind her, and her face burned red. Asher kissed her earlobe, his voice husky. ”Leah, I missed you too.”

”Third Master...”

For them, the long night had only just begun.

In L&C’s most luxurious presidential suite, Shawn Grant had shed his earlier cavalier demeanor. He frowned slightly, lighting a cigarette. ”Sis, do you think she’s the one Mason is looking for?”

”It was too rushed today, and she was wearing a turtleneck. I didn’t get a chance to see her collarbone.”

Nash Grant opened the photo from Asher Keating’s official relationship announcement. When Asher had first posted it, a gossipy Shawn had sent the photo to their group chat, asking the other two to guess who the girl was.

Mason Grant had quickly called Shawn to ask where the photo came from. Shawn, a little confused, explained that it was the girlfriend Asher Keating had just announced on his social media.

He asked Mason what was wrong, joking that it couldn’t be some melodramatic cliché where his ex-girlfriend had become Asher Keating’s current one.

Mason had said urgently over the phone, ”Look at her collarbone! That mole on her collarbone! And haven’t you noticed her eyes look just like my mom’s?”

”Do they?”

Shawn had taken a closer look. In the photo, Leah Sinclair’s head was tilted slightly, so he couldn’t really tell, but there was indeed a red mole on her left collarbone.

Mason’s mother—Nash and Shawn’s aunt, Mabel Grant—had gotten pregnant and given birth to a daughter out of wedlock over twenty years ago. At the time, it was a scandal for the Grant Family.

The old Mrs. Grant had taken the baby away on the day it was born. She returned and told Mabel Grant that she had thrown the child into the mountains to be fed to wolves. Heartbroken, Mabel left the country because of it.

She didn’t return until about a decade ago, going directly to Kingsford. And though she was back, her relationship with the old Mrs. Grant remained strained.

It wasn’t until the old Mrs. Grant was on her deathbed a few months ago that she finally told Mabel the truth: she hadn’t actually thrown the baby into the mountains back then.

She was her granddaughter, after all. As cruel as her heart could be, she couldn’t bring herself to do something like that. She had simply found someone to leave the baby on a random family’s doorstep.

However, she didn’t know the specifics of where the baby was left or with which family. The person she had arranged to do it had passed away a few years prior.

Upon learning this, Mabel Grant had been secretly searching for her daughter ever since. Only a few people in the Grant Family knew about it. Mabel had once told Mason he had a half-sister from a different father, who he was told had died at birth.

Weak after the delivery, Mabel herself could only remember one detail: her daughter had a red mole on her left collarbone. She had even prepared a golden locket for the baby before she was born.

Mason had been ready to fly from Eldoria to Riverfall immediately to investigate.

But Nash stopped him. ”Too many people have moles on their collarbones, Mason. A single photo, a red mole, and eyes you think look like our aunt’s—that’s not enough to guarantee this person is your sister. Auntie has been searching for months without a single lead. If you make a big scene by rushing back to Riverfall, and it turns out she isn’t the one, won’t you just be getting Auntie’s hopes up for nothing?”